Title

Author

Date of Award

2019-01-01

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Creative Writing

Advisor(s)

Syliva Aguilar-Zéleny

Abstract

Reanimation (Afterlife Rebellion Book 1) is the first book in a young adult science fiction and fantasy duology about a group of ghosts and a teenage necromancer who must come to terms with a corrupted afterlife. The overarching goal was to craft an accessible fantasy, with its characters being unfamiliar with genre conventions so that readers who were as well could have an entry point into the category, and familiar readers could enjoy new interpretations of the canon. Traditional character archetypes and stereotypes that have been proven to impede representation in the genre and deter new readership are subverted or expanded throughout the narrative. The exposition showcases gender being incidental to identity with non-binary identifiers, and in the conflict between good and evil, perceptions of who fits such sobriquets shift when new information emerges. The novel results in nuanced characters, reactions and emotions that more accurately depict today's world for adolescent readers.